Career: Tax examiners, Collectors, and Revenue Agents
As the old saying laments, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” While tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents may not be the most appreciated professionals around, they do play an important role.
Through their work reviewing tax returns, conducting audits, identifying taxes owed, and collecting overdue tax dollars, these workers make sure that the government gets the money it needs to keep going.
Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents determine taxes due and collect taxes from individuals and businesses.
Did You Know?
- At the entry level, many tax examiners perform clerical duties, such as entering tax returns into a computer system.
Are You Ready To...?
- Learn complicated tax laws inside and out
- Keep up-to-date with changes in the tax laws
- Check tax forms to make sure they’re accurate
- Decide whether tax credits and deductions are legal
- Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to laws and regulations
- Conduct audits and investigations of income tax returns
- Contact taxpayers to follow up on problems
- Decide on the best ways of settling debts
It Helps to Be...
Trustworthy, attentive to detail, able to handle confidential information, and able to work carefully under deadline. Collectors must also have good interpersonal and communication skills because they work directly with the public in situations that are often sensitive.
Make High School Count
- Get a good foundation in math; take four years, including calculus.
- Sign up for accounting, business, and economics.
- Build good communication skills in English, drama, and speech classes.
- Get to know computers and spreadsheet software.
Did You Know?
- Revenue agents work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and for equivalent agencies at the state and local levels. They handle the complicated income, sales, and excise tax returns of businesses and large corporations.
Outlook
Government economists expect the number of jobs for tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents to remain steady through 2016. However, a high number of experienced professionals are expected to retire soon, creating many openings.
Workers with in-depth knowledge of tax laws will have an edge in the job market.
Compensation
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents earned an average yearly salary of $53,090 in 2008.
